Fulham 2-3 Liverpool: Gerrard seals stunning comeback after Reds are dropped in it by another Kolo calamity

FULHAM VS LIVERPOOL MATCH ZONE

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In the Putney End, Liverpool fans celebrated so wildly they chose not to hear the announcement that trains north from Euston had been cancelled due to the weather.

Why should they care? Not after this exhilarating ride which started with an own goal soaked in self-destructive madness from Kolo Toure and ended with a winner from the penalty spot by Steven Gerrard in stoppage time.

It was a breathless eruption of chaos by the Thames; a sporting accompaniment to the storms which have battered the nation.

When the dust and everything else settles, Liverpool are only four points from the top of the Barclays Premier League in a week when Chelsea and Arsenal dropped points and Manchester City's game was postponed.

This was very much one of those games they would not have won in recent years and that will explain the nature of the delight at the end.

Twice Brendan Rodgers watched his team
fight back from behind. Not only did Toure find his own net but the
problems proved contagious as Martin Skrtel's blunder allowed Kieran
Richardson to fire Fulham 2-1 up, after Daniel Sturridge had equalised.

It
was never likely to stay that way on a blustery night in a game
littered with errors. Philippe Coutinho made it 2-2 before Sturridge won
the penalty and Gerrard smashed it confidently past Fulham's substitute
goalkeeper David Stockdale.

Maarten Stekelenburg had been forced off in the second half after taking an accidental boot in the eye from Suarez.

Neither
goalkeeper would have stopped the penalty. Liverpool won because of
their array of attacking weaponry, the positive spirit Rodgers has
instilled and the healthy momentum they have established.

It
seemed far from the bizarre moment in the eighth minute when Toure
sliced into his own net, one of those inexplicable happenings which have
started to orbit the Ivorian defender and will soon develop their own
insurance market.

At West
Brom he slid a pass to Victor Anichebe to surrender a late equaliser,
while at Craven Cottage last night, he did it all himself, contriving to
divert a low cross from Richardson past Simon Mignolet from six yards
while under no discernible pressure.

There
followed the usual how-on-earth-did-that-happen routine. It was a good
question. On the touchline, Rodgers did not look like the man with an
explanation. He turned aghast to his assistants on the bench.

At
least there was plenty of time to get out of trouble, unlike at West
Brom but Liverpool were temporarily stunned and Toure soon put his foot
in it again, this time wiping out referee Phil Dowd in an off-the-ball
collision.

Nice one: Liverpool captain Gerrard celebrates with Sturridge

Late drama: Daniel Sturridge is brought down for a penalty

Strongman: Gerrard celebrates his last-gasp winner for Liverpool at Fulham

Eventually, the
visitors found a foothold and anyone tempted to venture online for a
chuckle at Toure's expense might also want to visit the supreme vision
and execution of Gerrard's swerving delivery into the path of Sturridge,
for the first equaliser.

Like
Toure, the damage was done with the outside of his right boot. Gerrard
pounced on a loose ball when Ryan Tunncliffe was unable to collect an
over-hit pass from Holtby and threaded the ball from deep in midfield
and into the feet of his striker.

Sturridge
shifted the ball onto his left foot and applied an unerring finish,
inside the far post. He had been subdued until this point but here was
his 19th of the season and he has only failed to score on four
appearances for his club.

Having
overcome the early mishap, Liverpool went hard after the second.
Sturridge and Gerrard went close and Suarez lashed a fierce attempt
across goal.

Fulham had
controlled the first 20 minutes but could not maintain this intensity
and the rest of the game was really in no-one's control. Shots flew
around goals and with the gusty conditions came the feeling that
anything might happen, as Skrtel found after the break.

As
with Toure, there seemed little threat when Holtby crossed from the
right but Skrtel got in a twist, cocked his leg at a strange angle and
nursed the ball to Richardson who gleefully pounced to score.

DISTANCE COVERED STATS

Data courtesy of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the Official Player Rating Index of the Barclays Premier League

The
lead lasted less than 10 minutes. Coutinho collected the ball on the
Liverpool right and jinked infield, across the edge of the penalty area.
From 25 yards, he took aim and curled a delicious left-footer beyond
the goalkeeper's reach.

It
was a wonderful moment of quality in the midst of the confusion and
again the game was in flux.

Suarez and Stekelenburg collided and
Meulensteen was forced to send on his sub keeper and Stockdale found
himself under attack from all angles.

Tucking
in from the left on to his right foot, Suarez unleashed a low drive
across goal which thumped against the base of the post and rebounded
safely.

The Uruguayan, the
Premier League's top scorer has not found the net in three games, which
might be cause for crisis on the red half of Merseyside were it not for
the help at hand from his team-mates.

Hot shot: Philippe Coutinho scores Liverpool's second goal

Close up: Kieran Richardson makes it 2-1 to Fulham

Ouch: Fulham keeper Maarten Stekelenburg had to go off after collision with Liverpool's Luis Suarez

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Coutinho
went close again before Sturridge preyed on the tired legs of Sascha
Riether and drew a foul from the Fulham full back. It was a clear trip
and Dowd pointed the spot. Up stepped Gerrard with the clock ticking
past 90 minutes and made no mistake.

It
was cruel on Fulham. Despite their admirable contribution to a
thrilling game they are deep in trouble, scoring goals but unable to
keep them out, four points adrift, possibly holed below the waterline.

As for Liverpool, they are bang in the title race. Why care about the train cancellations?